Men's basketball: CU Buffs face first road test at Wyoming

Boyle's squad lost to Cowboys in Boulder last season

Tad Boyle knows it's time for the Buffs to take their game to a higher place.

Specifically to Laramie, Wyo. (elev., 7,220).

No. 19 Colorado puts its unblemished record and national ranking on the line for the first time in a true road game this Saturday at Wyoming.

The Cowboys are one of four visiting teams to win at the Coors Events Center on Boyle's watch, a 65-54 victory last season on Dec. 9, 2011.

"Revenge is for suckers. I don't believe in it," Boyle said of the rematch. "We should have the emotional edge, there's no question about that. The guys that were on this team last year will be reminded of that. We might even watch a little bit of film of that. They came in here last year and controlled the entire game and they beat us like a drum.

"(Wyoming's) Larry Shyatt out-coached Tad Boyle that night and we need to make sure we do better when we go up to Laramie on Saturday."

The Buffs (6-0) survived a scare from Texas Southern on Tuesday night in Boulder, pulling out an 85-80 double-overtime win.

Boyle told his players in the postgame locker room that they should write thank-you notes to the NCAA for mandating an off day every week, which CU took on Wednesday.

The Buffs will lift weights at 6 a.m. on Thursday to begin preparations for a challenging nonconference stretch that also includes a showdown with Colorado State at the Coors Events Center next Wednesday and a Dec. 8 reunion with Kansas in Lawrence.

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"I think our guys learned that nobody's going to be intimidated by you just because you're 19th in the country and you're feeling good about yourself and you're playing in front of a great home crowd," Boyle said. "Doesn't mean jack unless you bring it, and we didn't bring it from the get-go (against Texas Southern)."

CU, which defended at a very high level against some of the nation's top point guards en route to the Charleston Classic championship, allowed 5-9 senior shooting guard Omar Strong to torch them for 39 points.

"As a group, we didn't come out with the same type of intensity we had in the other games," Spencer Dinwiddie, who countered with 24 points, admitted. "Kind of a false sense of security."

Andre Roberson (11 points, 12 rebounds) fouled out in regulation and had to watch the two overtimes on the edge of his seat like the 8,325 fans in attendance.

Boyle said he did not start Xavier Johnson (six points, five rebounds), who fouled out against Air Force, in either overtime session because he had four fouls.

Josh Scott helped the Buffs avoid a major upset by delivering 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

"I learned I need to pick it up. I don't think I played exceptionally well this game," the humble 6-11 freshman said after playing 40 minutes. "Hopefully I can pick it up at Wyoming, but I'm glad we came out with the win."

Boyle said when the coaches went over the scouting report for Texas Southern the players they clearly didn't respect the under-sized, out-manned visitors from the SWAC.

"That's my job as a coach to have them ready," Boyle said. "They weren't ready. It's on me."

At least the men's basketball coach at CU holds himself accountable.

Now it's time for these talented Buffs to see if they can reach new heights.

"We're going to have to overcome some people up there that don't like the Colorado Buffaloes too well. We're going to have to stare that in the face," Boyle said of the trip north of the border. "And a week later we're going to have to do that at Allen Fieldhouse. In between, we have one of the best teams in the country right now, Colorado State, and they're playing awfully well. ...

"My expectations as a coach, given the way this this team has performed this early in the season, just like fans, it goes up."

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